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Together with a team of researchers from China, Prof. Joachim Burgd\u00f6rfer and his colleagues from the Institute of Theoretical Physics<\/a> at TU Wien are measuring these fleeting moments to understand how quantum entanglement actually happens.<\/p>\n These scientists aren\u2019t focused on the existence of quantum entanglement, but are keen on uncovering how it begins \u2013 how exactly do two particles become quantum entangled?<\/p>\n Understanding quantum entanglement<\/p>\n Using advanced computer simulations, they\u2019ve managed to peek into processes that happen on attosecond timescales \u2013 a billionth of a billionth of a second.<\/p>\n Quantum entanglement is a strange and fascinating phenomenon<\/a> where two particles become so interconnected that they share a single state.<\/p>\n It\u2019s like having two magic coins that always land on the same side \u2013 flip one, and the other mysteriously shows the same result, even if it\u2019s miles away.<\/p>\n \u201cYou could say that the particles have no individual properties, they only have common properties. From a mathematical point of view, they belong firmly together, even if they are in two completely different places,\u201d explains Prof. Burgd\u00f6rfer. <\/p>\n This means that measuring one particle instantly affects the state of the other, no matter how far apart they are.<\/p>\n In simple terms, entangled particles<\/a> share a connection that lets them \u201ctalk\u201d to each other instantly. Measure one particle, and you\u2019ll immediately know something about its partner. <\/p>\n This strange behavior defies our everyday understanding of how the world works, making entanglement one of the most mind-boggling concepts in quantum physics.<\/p>\n Measuring with lasers and electrons<\/p>\n As incomprehensible as the concept of quantum entanglement seems, it\u2019s no longer a matter of debate whether or not it\u2019s true, and that\u2019s not what this study is about.<\/p>\n \u201cWe, on the other hand, are interested in something else \u2013 in finding out how this entanglement develops<\/a> in the first place and which physical effects play a role on extremely short time scales,\u201d says Prof. Iva B\u0159ezinov\u00e1, one of the authors of the current publication.<\/p>\n To explore this, the team looked at atoms struck by an extremely intense and high-frequency laser pulse. Imagine shining a super-powered flashlight on an atom. <\/p>\n One electron gets so excited that it breaks free and flies away. If the laser is strong enough, a second electron inside the atom also gets a jolt, moving to a higher energy level<\/a> and changing its orbit around the nucleus.<\/p>\n So, after this intense blast of light, one electron is off on its own, and another is left behind but not quite the same as before. <\/p>\n \u201cWe can show that these two electrons<\/a> are now quantum entangled,\u201d says Prof. Burgd\u00f6rfer. \u201cYou can only analyze them together \u2013 and you can perform a measurement on one of the electrons and learn something about the other electron at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n Time gets fuzzy in attoseconds<\/p>\n Here\u2019s where things get really intriguing<\/a>. The electron that flies away doesn\u2019t have a definite moment when it left the atom. <\/p>\n \u201cThis means that the birth time of the electron that flies away is not known in principle. You could say that the electron itself doesn\u2019t know when it left the atom,\u201d Prof. Burgd\u00f6rfer notes. <\/p>\n It\u2019s in what\u2019s called a quantum superposition<\/a>, meaning it exists in multiple states at once.<\/p>\n But there\u2019s more. The time when the electron departs is linked to the energy state of the electron that stays behind. <\/p>\n If the remaining electron has higher energy, the departing electron likely left earlier. If it\u2019s in a lower energy state, the electron probably left later \u2013 on average around 232 attoseconds later.<\/p>\n Measuring the unmeasurable<\/p>\n An attosecond is so brief that it\u2019s beyond the ability for most people to understand<\/a>. Yet, these tiny differences aren\u2019t just theoretical.<\/p>\n \u201cThese differences can not only be calculated, but also measured in experiments,\u201d says Prof. Burgd\u00f6rfer.<\/p>\n The team has devised a measurement protocol combining two different laser beams to capture this elusive timing. <\/p>\n They\u2019re already collaborating with other researchers eager to test and observe these ultrafast entanglements in the lab<\/a>.<\/p>\n Importance of quantum entanglement<\/p>\n Understanding how entanglement forms could have big implications for quantum technologies<\/a> like cryptography and computing. <\/p>\n Instead of just trying to maintain entanglement, scientists can now study its very inception. This could lead to new ways of controlling quantum systems<\/a> and enhancing the security of quantum communications.<\/p>\n The journey doesn\u2019t stop here. Prof. Burgd\u00f6rfer and his team are excited about the next steps. <\/p>\n \u201cWe are already in talks with research teams who want to prove such ultrafast entanglements,\u201d he shares. <\/p>\n By exploring in these ultrashort time scales, they\u2019re not just observing quantum effects \u2013 they\u2019re redefining how we understand the very fabric of reality<\/a>.<\/p>\n Quantum entanglement and the future<\/p>\n It\u2019s clear that in the quantum world, even the briefest moments hold a wealth of information. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe electron doesn\u2019t just jump out of the atom. It is a wave that spills out of the atom, so to speak \u2014 and that takes a certain amount of time,\u201d explains Iva B\u0159ezinov\u00e1. <\/p>\n \u201cIt is precisely during this phase that the entanglement occurs, the effect of which can then be precisely measured later by observing the two electrons,\u201d she concludes.<\/p>\n So next time you blink, remember that in less than a trillionth of that time, entire quantum events are unfolding, revealing secrets that could change the future of technology and our understanding of the universe.<\/p>\n The full study was published in the journal Physical Review Letters<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2014\u2013<\/p>\n Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter<\/a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.<\/p>\n Check us out on EarthSnap<\/a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls<\/a> and Earth.com.<\/p>\n \u2014\u2013<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the world of quantum physics, incredible events unfold at mind-boggling speeds. Processes thought to happen instantaneously, like…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":403732,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[49,48,314,66],"class_list":{"0":"post-563413","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-physics","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-physics","11":"tag-science"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563413","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=563413"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563413\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/403732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=563413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=563413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=563413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}